The Incident
by SweetSinger2010
Summary: The Ghost suffers a collision with a certain YT-model freighter, and Hera's angrier than anyone's ever seen her.
1. Part One

A/N: Here is some stupid, stupid, pointless fluff I've been working on for a while. Part one in a series of three, I think. Updates coming over the next several nights. Honestly, very fluffy and improbable stuff in this fic. You've been warned.

P.S.: DID Y'ALL SEE THE NEW TRAILER FOR SEASON FOUR? My stomach was in knots of anxiety, I kid you not. Feel free to PM me if you need someone to geek out with!

* * *

The Incident

 _Part One_

Kanan whistled his astonishment. "We've known each other over ten years and I have never seen Hera this mad."

Beside him, Ezra snorted. "You still haven't," he muttered. He made eye contact with Sabine and grinned. They exchanged high-fives behind Kanan's back.

"Nice one," she said. "Kanan, Ezra's getting wittier than you. What's up? You're losing your edge."

Kanan frowned, too focused on Hera to be annoyed that there was a blind joke he hadn't thought of first. "My master would say that being glib is perhaps not the most attractive quality in a Jedi Master."

"I hope you have at least _some_ attractive Jedi qualities," Zeb interjected with a rakish laugh. "'Cause this guy's givin' you a run for your money in the looks department."

"He's taller than you," Sabine said, impressed. She squinted. "Got a handsome face-no beard. Hazel eyes maybe; not blue like yours. Broad shouldered, obviously fit. I wonder what Hera thinks about-"

"Alright," Kanan interrupted sourly. "I get the picture. Can it."

The four of them stood at the base of the _Ghost's_ ramp watching shamelessly from a distance as Hera strode toward the pilot of a dilapidated YT-1300. Approaching the planet's surface, both vessels ran past an Imperial lite cruiser. The _Ghost_ , masking its signal and signature, was far enough away from the Lothal sector that it was able to pass unrecognized and without incident-

Until the YT, pursued by a TIE patrol, swooped so close to the Ghost that Hera had actually shrieked. The YT's lower gun hit the _Ghost_ , scraping the hull and putting a crack in the bubble encasing the upper turret. Sabine had been up there, the impact throwing her forward in her harness with enough force to slam her head against the controls and bruise her ribs.

Damaging her ship _and_ injuring one of her crew? It was as if the pilot of the YT wanted to make Hera furious and then push her over the edge into an uncontrolled, never-before-seen rage.

She'd outflown and out-maneuvered the YT, no mean feat, and shot down all four TIEs single-handedly. Then she pursued the freighter to the planet's surface and landed just meters away. She intended to tell the other pilot exactly what she thought about his flying. Her lekku trembled with strain and anger.

The other pilot swaggered down his ramp with the kind of smile that had probably charmed many, many women who weren't Hera Syndulla. He held out his hands in a half-apologetic gesture.

"Hey, sorry 'bout the-"

"Have you lost your _kriffing tiny_ mind?" Hera shouted.

Ezra gasped. "I have _never_ heard her swear before," he whispered.

The man's face fell and then darkened with anger when his Wookiee co-pilot, lounging against one the ramp's hydraulic arms, said something and then laughed.

"The Wookiee is on Hera's side," Sabine summarized in a low voice.

"Listen here, sister," the human pilot said, taking a threatening step toward Hera. "I don't know what your issue is, but I came out here to apologize." He put his hands on his trim hips.

Hera had to tilt her head back to look him in the eye, but she was not intimidated. "You _should_ apologize! What you did back there was completely-"

"Oh, _relax_ ," the man said with a grandiose eye-roll. "It was just a clip. Superficial damage. If you're any kind of a pilot, you'll have it fixed in no time!"

"Superficial damage!" Hera sprang forward and jabbed a finger in his ribs. "You nearly killed one of my crew!"

"I didn't almost _die_ ," Sabine mumbled, touching the line of butterfly closures across the gash on her forehead. She crossed her arms and then winced; her middle was painfully tender.

"There was a lot of blood," Ezra said with a frown, glancing over at her.

The YT pilot turned just a shade pale, taking a step backward. One hand grazed the back of his neck. "There was a gunner in the turret?"

"Of course there was!" Hera spat. "We were sharing vacuum with an Imperial cruiser!"

The man's throat bobbed with a nervous swallow. "And he's...?"

" _She_ has a concussion and bruised ribs, no thanks to you."

"Oh." He was visibly relieved, and embarrassed. "Well," he said, coloring, "you know none of it would've have happened if you'd gotten out of the way."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." He stared her down. "Your piece-of-junk VCX was in the way."

Hera's eyebrows raised dangerously high. "I'm sorry; you have the gall to call _my_ ship a piece of junk? Have you _seen_ your ship?"

"Karabast." Zeb shook his head. "What'll we do if they start throwing punches?"

"I bet she can take him," Sabine said with an approving nod.

"I'll take that bet," Zeb said, patting his pockets to try and find a few loose credits.

"Me too." Ezra felt his own pockets and winced. "But I might have to owe you."

"We are not taking bets," Kanan admonished. Beneath his mask, he rolled his eyes. "Enough of this."

He strode toward Hera and the YT pilot as their bickering escalated to yelling. He couldn't read Hera's body language, but he could sense her presence; residual fear and anxiety over the collision and Sabine's injury roiled within her, fueling her temper. Some of her anger, Kanan knew, was directed inward. As much as she blamed the other pilot, she blamed herself for not outmaneuvering him sooner and avoiding the situation altogether. He didn't have to talk to her to know that; he could hear it in the inflection of her voice, strained by the angry clench of her jaw.

He walked up next to her and the arguing ground to a halt. He could feel the YT pilot watching him suspiciously. He flashed a disarming smile and gently touched a hand to the small of Hera's back. Instantly, her inner storm began to calm. "I came to see if you needed any help," he said.

"It's all under control, love." Her voice carried a barest trace of a Ryl accent.

The pilot smirked. "You needed your boyfriend to come bail you out? Predictable."

Hera bristled, but Kanan said placidly, "I'm not sure I appreciate your tone, but I'm gonna let that go because I didn't come over here for _her_. I'm a little concerned about you, pal."

"Come again?"

"Now, I can't say for sure, being blind and all, but it sure _seems_ like you're the one who collided with _us_ , and now you're trying to make it her fault." He gestured to Hera and her eyes narrowed. "That's not very sporting."

"Listen here-"

Kanan held up a hand. "Let me finish," he said politely. "If you still want to contest the issue, that's fine; it'll make a good show for the rest of us. My kids over there have already taken bets as to who'd win in a hand-to-hand fight, and I have to tell you, all the credits are on her."

"Your- _kids!_ " The man sputtered incredulously, looking over Kanan's shoulder at the two teens and the Lasat. "What kind of-"

"Now if you'll excuse us," Kanan continued, taking Hera's elbow, "we'll be leaving."

Hera was calm now, but she was still angry. "If I even _think_ that I see you or your ship within ten parsecs of me and mine, I'll shoot you on sight. Don't think that I won't."

The man's eyes widened. "I believe you," he growled.

"Glad we understand each other," Kanan said cheerfully. He tightened his grip on Hera and pulled her away. "By the way," he said over his shoulder, "she's not my girlfriend. Under the articles of common law, she's my _wife_. And while she certainly doesn't _need_ me to stick up for her, I'll do worse than shoot you if you ever cross her again."

Kanan and Hera walked back to the _Ghost_ , the pilot cursing behind them and Zeb, Sabine, and Ezra gawking in front of them. Hera, still fuming, crossed her arms petulantly.

"If that was a proposal," she groused under her breath, "it's the worst one I've ever heard."

"I could do better if you'd let me," he answered earnestly.

All at once, Hera's posture and attitude softened. "Someday soon, love," she sighed. She hooked her arm through his and leaned on him as they boarded the _Ghost_.

"You two are embarrassing," Sabine called from her perch on the ladder.

"We know," Kanan said with a grin.

The young Mandalorian's eyes turned thoughtful. "If I'm half as lucky someday..." Her voice trailed off and she shook her head, moving up the ladder and out of sight. Then there was the distinct sound of someone getting smacked as she said, "Not _you_ , idiot."


	2. Part Two

A/N: You guys! Your response to the first installment of this made my day so so much! I'm so very glad you liked it, and I hope this next bit won't disappoint! I'm very behind on responding to reviews on this and my last two fics, but please know that your feedback means a heck of a lot to me. I really enjoy writing in this fandom because y'all are the sweetest.

And on an unrelated note, I watched the new trailer another couple times and the Kanera made me happy but also concerned and confused. Anybody else?

* * *

The Incident

 _Part Two_

 _18 Months Later_

Han Solo walked through the hangar bay aboard _Home One_ , Leia Organa just half a step behind him. She was, as usual, griping.

"You're such an idiot sometimes," she groaned. "Who writes reports like this? 'One good look at the _Falcon_ sent the TIEs running,'" she quoted irritably, reading from a datapad, "'and Rogue Squadron busted up the Imperial blockade consisting of a carrier and two light cruisers. No Rebel casualties incurred, unless you consider Wedge's ego. During the altercation, a TIE landed four shots across his hull, resulting in minor damage to the X-Wing. Commander Antilles had been previously overheard at zero eight hundred hours saying that no way in hell would any Imperials lay a finger on him today.'" Leia slapped the datapad against Han's chest and glared up at him. " _Fix it._ "

He stopped and turned smoothly so that he was facing her. Sometimes it was easier to escape her ire if he didn't make direct eye contact with her, but she always looked particularly pretty when she was irritated, and being irritated chased away the pallor which settled on her cheeks whenever she had too much time to think about Alderaan. "I didn't write anything that wasn't true," he said, hooking his thumbs through his belt loops.

"It's the biggest load of crap I have ever read, and you have to revise it." Her voice was flat. He held up a finger.

"I said you could have it good, or you could have it fast, and you said you wanted it fast. Remember?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Never again," she muttered.

"Glad we got that settled," he said with a cheeky smile. He turned and walked away, going nowhere in particular; just walking. He'd discovered some weeks ago that even when he kept a moderate pace, Leia had to scamper to match his stride. It amused him more than it should have.

"We're not finished," she said. Every few steps, she had to do a half-jog to keep up with him as she read from her own datapad. "I need you to run a thorough analysis of the— _hey!_ "

He stopped abruptly and she collided with his back, caught off guard. He was staring out of the hangar bay's starboard viewport and an uncomfortable feeling sent goosebumps up his arms.

"What's the matter with you?" Leia demanded, managing to sound both annoyed and genuinely concerned.

"That ship docked with the frigate," he said, jerking his chin toward a vessel right outside the hangar. "Whose is it?"

Leia followed his gaze, eyebrows pulling together. "That's General Syndulla's ship, the _Ghost_. I don't think you've met her. She's been—"

"Her," he interrupted. The name set off alarm bells in his brain; he vaguely remembered his classes at the Imperial Academy and studying something about a Cham Syndulla of Ryloth. He definitely remembered encountering this freighter and its irate humanoid pilot. "Is she a Twi'lek, by any chance? An angry, green Twi'lek?"

"A— _what?_ "

"Well?"

Leia rolled her eyes. "She's a Twi'lek, yes."

Han's face scrunched up and there was a skittish look in his eye when he turned to Leia. "This has been a real nice rebellion," he said, grabbing her hand and shaking it vigorously. "But I gotta go."

Leia blinked in mute confusion for a moment. " _What_ are you talking about?"

He jabbed a finger toward the Ghost. "If that woman sees me, she'll kill me."

"Kill you," Leia repeated, deadpan. "Really."

"I'm telling you," Han said emphatically, "She said if she ever saw me again, she'd shoot me."

Leia stared at him, and then she laughed. "She _said_ that?"

"Honest truth." His eyes darted around the hangar bay.

Leia struck an annoyed pose even as an amused smirk lifted her mouth. "General Syndulla is a brilliant leader and a phenomenal pilot. On top of that, she's one of the kindest, most compassionate people I have ever met. Honestly, Han," she said with a scoff, "what did you _do?_ "

He folded his arms across his chest. "I—there was a—it was nothing, really—a minor collision."

Leia's brows flew up. "You hit the _Ghost?_ "

"Cosmetic damage," he said, emphasizing each syllable. Leia knew that wasn't the whole story.

"Out with it."

Han frowned. "Maybe her gunner was injured when it happened."

"And?"

" _And_ ," he added grudgingly, "there was some yelling. Listen, I'd love to elaborate; really, I would. But I'd hate to cross the business end of her blaster, and as much fun as I'm sure you'd have watching that, I've got a Wookiee to think about." He turned on his heel, making a beeline for the exit.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," Leia said, trailing behind. "You're really going?"

"I don't want to run into her, and I really don't want to run into her husband. Guy was—"

Leia grabbed his sleeve and gasped, pivoting herself in front of him as her eyes darted around the hangar bay. "Her what? Do you mean Kanan Jarrus?" Her tone carried no small amount of alarm. "Tall man, dark headed, blind?"

"That's the one. He was—"

"Han, stop," she begged. Her face turned that shade of been-thinking-about-Alderaan-pale and Han suddenly felt uneasy. "He's—"

"He's gone," a steely voice interrupted from behind him.

Stomach tied in knots, Han turned to face the voice and it was General Syndulla herself. Han wasn't looking at the face of the angry pilot he'd met nearly two years ago, but the face of a woman who was very, very tired. He found it difficult to fully meet her eye. "I meant no disrespect," he said, subdued. "I didn't know."

Hera inclined her head slightly, considering the statement. "We've all lost a lot lately." She pursed her lips and lifted her chin. "The Alliance owes you a great debt of gratitude for what you did at Yavin, Captain Solo."

Han shifted his weight, both uncomfortable with the accolade and unnerved that she knew who he was; but then, he thought wryly, who didn't these days? "I..." He hesitated, rubbing his jaw. "Did it for the kid, that's all."

"Mm." The Twi'lek's answer was as noncommittal as her eyes were enigmatic. Han cast a wary glance at Leia. She shrugged.

"Listen," he began in a rush, "about before—"

Hera shook her head. "Let's forget it," she said. She held out a hand and he shook it. "Pleasure to meet you, Captain Solo."

"Same to you, general."

Hera stepped past them and squeezed Leia's hand as she went. For her part, Leia was astonished; she'd never heard Han speak so respectfully to authority. He stood with his hands on his hips, watching Hera walk away. His eyes were thoughtful as he turned to Leia. "What happened to their kids?"

Leia's face scrunched in confusion. "Their _what?_ Kanan and Hera? Han, they only have—" She stopped, sucking in a breath through her teeth, trying to temper the irritation that was always brewing when she was with him. "You know what? Forget it. You need to head down to medical to see if there's any permanent damage from having your giant foot shoved in your mouth."

"Al _right_ ," he half-shouted, glowering. "I don't need any more of your lip!" He turned on his heel, stalking away.

"Han!" He didn't stop and Leia had a take a few running steps. "What about that report?" She demanded, just slightly out of breath. "It still needs to be fixed."

"Oh, I'll _fix_ your report, sweetheart." He waved the datapad, holding it high enough that she'd have to jump if she wanted to reach it.

"Don't you _dare!_ "

Their rapid-fire bickering echoed in the hangar bay as Leia doggedly followed Han to wherever he was going next. At the doorway, Leia stopped long enough to make eye contact with Hera, working on an X-Wing, and wink. The Twi'lek woman grinned.


	3. Part Three

A/N: Final installment, yay! Again I must warn you: FLUFF. This story was written in like a happiness AU where everything is great and nobody dies in Rebels Season 4 or ever. Also, this chapter got a little crowded with characters because I have no self-control. Let me know what you think!

* * *

The Incident

 _Part Three_

 _Later That Evening_

The _Phantom II_ shuddered as it docked with its parent vessel and Kanan breathed a sigh of relief, unbuckling his restraints.

Ezra rolled his eyes. "I'm a little insulted that you still get so nervous when I'm the one at the helm."

"It's not that," Kanan said dryly, "although hearing you say 'oops' right after you've made the jump to hyperspace doesn't exactly fill me with joy." He stood and stretched his legs. "I just always feel more at ease when we're home, that's all."

Ezra glanced out the viewscreen, deep space to one side and the giant Mon Calamari cruiser to the other. "Home," he echoed, shaking his head. He felt selfishly glad that they were able to call the _Ghost_ home, whereas so many beings were just drifting from base to base, spacecraft to spacecraft, as the Alliance tried to gain some traction after Yavin.

Kanan reached out and squeezed his shoulder. "Come on," he said.

When they stepped onto the _Ghost_ , unholy, raucous shrieks of feminine laughter hit them like a shockwave.

Ezra jumped, startled. " _Kriffing_ -"

"Language," Kanan reprimanded, sounding no less bewildered than his apprentice.

"What—who _is_ that?" The twenty-year-old's eyes were wide. He and Kanan advanced slowly toward the cockpit. "Sabine for sure, Hera, and... _Princess_ _Leia?_ But I have never heard _any_ of them carry on like that, _ever_ _._ "

"Don't underestimate the strange things that happen when tightly-wound women and alcohol are in the same room," Kanan said solemnly.

" _Alcohol?_ "

"Can't you smell it?" Kanan sniffed as they stopped outside the cockpit door. "Red wine, Alderaanian. Five creds."

"Deal."

The girls' laughing died down to murmurs and intermittent giggles until Ezra opened the cockpit door. Upon seeing the two men, the women froze and then threw back their heads, virtually howling with laughter. Ezra rolled his eyes and frowned, pulling out a five-cred chip to hand to Kanan; Sabine and Leia both held glasses of red wine.

"Nice to see you all, too," Kanan said sourly. He could feel them watching him and his cheeks tinged pink. "Do I even want to know?"

"It's nothing, love," Hera said between laughs, gasping for breath. "You remember I told you Han Solo was the one who clipped the _Ghost_ that time?"

Kanan's eyebrows flew up. "Are you _still_ mad about that?"

"If she's not, _I_ am," Sabine interjected, her smile fading. She touched a pronounced scar high on her forehead. "Do you know how hard it is to cover this thing?"

"I think it makes you look intriguing," Ezra said earnestly.

Sabine snorted. "Wonderful."

"Anyway," Leia prompted, sipping her wine.

"Anyway, the princess heard the story from Chewbacca and asked me about it. Then she saw me in the hangar bay this afternoon and decided to play an impromptu prank on Captain Solo, that's all." Sabine and Leia giggled all over again.

"Which was?"

Hera hesitated, face coloring. "Never you mind, love."

" _I_ see how it is," Kanan said in an exaggerated tone. His mouth turned in a smirk.

"Do you?" Sabine asked, her glass at her mouth.

"If you don't mind," he continued archly, "I'll just get what I came for and be on my way."

"Sounds good," Hera said, smiling. Kanan stepped forward and leaned over, kissing her temple. Then he scooped up the wriggling baby in her lap, who babbled excitedly as Kanan settled her on his hip. She squealed in delight when he tickled her cheeks with his beard.

"Daddy missed you," he cooed unashamedly. "Very, very much."

The younger three humans looked at each other, biting their tongues against any teasing remarks.

"She's got the sweetest smile, Kanan," Leia said.

"I have no idea _why_ ," Hera groaned with a sigh. "She didn't sleep well at all while you were gone. I'm exhausted. It's a miracle she isn't cranky."

"Poor mommy," Kanan murmured, stroking the baby's cheeks with his thumb. "I'll take Depa duty tonight."

"In the meantime," Leia began, throwing a wicked grin to Hera and Sabine, "would you mind walking a message down to Captain Solo? He should be in the mess hall with Commander Skywalker. My com is out and he won't be particularly happy to see me if I turn up."

Kanan was suspicious, but he didn't dare ask what she was up to. "What's the message?"

"That his report still doesn't meet my standards. And if he doesn't fix it this time, there'll be hell to pay." She smiled primly. "Or something to that effect."

"Sure thing," Kanan said flatly.

"Don't ask," Sabine advised, taking another sip of wine. "Just rest assured that the joke is _not_ on you."

"Well let's go, Depa." He bounced the baby on his hip and she giggled. "Let's go see what kind of trouble mommy got us into."

Depa burbled and cooed happily at the word "go," and Kanan turned for the door. The baby lunged and grabbed a fistful of Ezra's shirt as she passed him. "Guess I'm going, too," he said. He winked and grinned at Sabine and Leia. "See ya, ladies."

The young girls both groaned and rolled their eyes. Hera smiled and got to her feet. "I'll leave you to it," she said.

"Are you going to follow them down there to see Solo's face?" Sabine asked eagerly.

Hera's eyes widened. "Are you kidding? I'm going to _bed_."

The girls protested, begging her to stay, but Hera just shook her head, exiting the cockpit. She could hear the rise and fall of their voices and laughter as she went to her cabin, and she felt grateful that they all were, for the moment, safe and sound. Laying her head on her pillow, she almost laughed. She and Leia had done a fairly tasteless thing misleading Han Solo like they had, but his reaction was sure to be priceless when he realized he'd been duped. It would almost make up for the damage to the _Ghost._ Almost.

* * *

"Hey, was that Bridger?" Luke sat down at the mess table across from Han and Chewie, a cup of caf in his hand.

Han frowned deeply and tapped his fingers on the tabletop, clearly agitated, as he watched Ezra Bridger and Kanan Jarrus walk out of the mess hall. They'd just stopped by to relay a message from Leia. And on top of Kanan Jarrus _not_ being dead, there was a baby in his arms, adorable, amiable, and distinctly half-Twi'lek. "Yes," Han growled. "It was. Jarrus, too."

"Oh, cool. Didn't know they were back already." Luke, oblivious to everything, sipped his caf. "Ezra and I have plans to—what? What's the matter?"

Han's face was turning redder by the second and he let loose a string of absolutely blistering Huttese curses. "I'm gonna strangle that woman with my bare hands," he finally managed, furious. " _My bare hands._ '

"What? Who?"

" _Leia._ "

Luke pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. "Here we go."

Han pushed back from the table, glancing around the room with a crazed look in his eyes. "Leia!" He bellowed, turning every head in the mess hall. " _Leia!_ "

Chewbacca warbled a few words, shaking his head as Han stalked off, still shouting for the princess.

"If you're saying you think this is gonna be a _reeeeal_ long rebellion," Luke said with a grimace, "I agree." Chewie opened his mouth for further comment, but the beeping of Luke's com cut him off. "Skywalker," the human answered.

"Is Han mad?" Leia asked without preamble.

"I wouldn't say 'mad,' exactly; 'murderous rage' might be a better way of putting it. What'd you do?"

Leia burst out laughing, as did the other woman with her. "Grab Ezra and come back to the _Ghost_ ," Sabine Wren said between laughs.

Leia lowered her voice, trying to compose herself and failing miserably. "We'll explain everything. Hurry up before Han catches you. Organa out."

Luke sat still for just a moment, processing the odd exchange. What Leia was up to, he could only guess. But he wasn't about to pass up the chance to hang out with two fascinating women and a fellow Jedi. He grinned at Chewbacca. "I take it back," he said, getting up from the table. "The Rebellion's terrific!"

The Wookiee just shook his head in mild amusement as he watched Luke run of in pursuit of Ezra. Chewbacca knew what the younger humans did not: these small moments of fleeting happiness and camaraderie would be the things they reflected on in the middle of the night in decades to come. He hoped, with all his heart, that this small respite from the war would give them the strength to face the next great challenge, whatever that may be, and that they would be able to lean on each other. Heart, Chewie believed, would win the war rather than weapons and armories.

That and alcohol, which he was going to need a lot of if he wanted to talk Han down from his fury with Princess Leia. He made a mental note to subtly ask General Syndulla whether she and _her_ mate had this much trouble getting along when they first met. He also intended to ask the other shipmates how they dealt with the lovers' spats, because Luke was right; this was shaping up to be a very long rebellion.


End file.
